Detox Survival Guide

The word junkie (or junky) was initially used to describe a heroin addict, "junk" being a slang term for heroin. EX: We are all junkies! Just one big dysfunctional family!

Addiction was a term used to describe a devotion, attachment, dedication, inclination, etc. EX: I am devoted to Vicodin!

Detox, short for detoxification, in general is the removal of toxic substances from the body. EX: Detox fukin' *****!

You are probably asking yourself, "who is this person, and how the hell do they know anything about detox and withdrawal?". Well, I am just a kindred spirit who has been through this nasty piece of work called hard core, out of control drug abuse. I have tried everything and anything to make the detox whirlwind easier. And let me tell you, it is not easy.

There are however, ways to make it bearable. This is just a small guide to detox. Tried, tested, stamped, and given the seal of approval by many professional junkies, (mu ha ha) And used by many more on a regular basis.

Ok so, who the hell am I? I am a 35 year old woman, Mother, nurturer, own my own business, author, avid reader, was once a shoe in for the US Womens Hockey team, all around pain in the a$$, "normal on the outside, twisted on the inside", stick figure artist (definitely not Picasso), going on 11 years as a straight up junkie.

Ten years ago, due to terrible sports related injuries that left me in serious debilitating pain, I found myself addicted to various pain pills. Eventually, my body became so immune to the pills, that I switched to more powerful drugs. Mainly Heroin, Meth, Cocaine and alcohol. (At this time, I am addicted to a nasty cocktail of various pills.)

The situations I would find myself in various times throughout those long years were not only scary, but down right unforgivable to myself. It took me a long time to figure out that my problems wouldn't go away with a pill, or a drug. Only when I hit rock bottom did I wake up to the fact that I was killing myself. I wont go on with my story because we all have one, and they are long, drawn out sob stories, not to mention we all have demons in the closet that need to stay there. At least mine do.

I think the scariest thing about habitual drug use is the eventual normalcy of it. You get to a state of needing the drug to be human. You can interact with humans, work, take care of your kids, do homework, play games, wash the dog, make dinner, pay bills, and live like anyone else, but you need that drug to function....to be "normal".

Drugs change everything about who you are....who you once were. They change you into a completely different animal. For example, my agoraphobia, which I never had in my life before detox, got really bad when I was on Heroin. I couldn't go outside without banging up a cc and mixing it with coke. (aka: Zombie dust) If I wasn't on anything, I made up excuses as to why I couldn't go out. And when I detox, it all comes back again until I am over the whole process. It will happen again, even this time once I am through with my last pill. As of this moment, I am on 17 Vicoprofin 7.5/200's a day right now in Jan/2008, (last week I was on 25-30 per day) including an insane cocktail of other miscellaneous zombie pills. And when I get down to the last few, I will start this detox program I have used for years.

The physical effects are horrible the first week. But after all is said and done, and you are feeling some what half way human, you need therapy. Detoxing is only the first step. It's the long term problems you will come up against throughout life that you really need treatment or NA for. Everyone gets to this point because they couldn't say no to their stingy addictions in the first place. And like a child, we need to learn all over again how to control our impulses.

Let me start by saying that pain manifests itself everywhere in your body and brain when you are going through wd's.(withdrawals/detox) Your body aches in places you didn't even know existed, your brain hurts, you get the shakes, you can't eat, you can't sleep, you look like a corpse, every single muscle in your entire body is screaming bloody hell, your legs are on fire and you can't control them. Sometimes you hallucinate. You get hot and cold flashes. You are vomiting out of every orifice of your body. You have scourging anger pulsing through your veins and you are cranky as hell. You are a ****in class A basket case. You want to kill everyone and let them feel the pain you are in. Your head is going a million miles an hour craving that last push/smoke/bump or pill.Your thoughts are demented. Nothing would make you happier than unloading a full gatling gun at the local Wal-Mart that sold you out-dated milk. You are a mental freak out living in hell. You want to DIE.........

Hell hath no fury like a detoxing junkie.

Believe it or not, there is light at the end of that putrid tunnel.....there is a way to return to normal....whatever the hell normal is these days. Eventually, your mind and body will ease, your self worth will come back. Your self image will improve, and your health will as well. Drugs back you into this mental corner that makes you feel VOID about your person. You could care less about yourself, much less anyone else.

You live in a house of pain.

It takes a long time, and a lot of damned balls to self evaluate, to internalize all of the bullsh*t you have created, and get pissed off enough at yourself for the sh*t you have done to your loved ones, your body, mind and soul. Only then can you put the pieces back together. Only then, can you begin to break free of the pain you have built up around yourself.

It's hard to go it alone, but there are millions of addicts out there who go through the same nightmare when they decide to stop. I promise, it gets better every day....I cut my intake from 25 to 20, now I go down to 17, and my body is already starting to coil up into a mass of sickening pain, my brain is turning on the multiple personalities....all of them bad bad bad. But you don't have to go it alone. This site, and many others, are out there to help you....to realize there are others who are detoxing, who are clean, and who are still on the junk. "I am not alone". No, you're not...

NA/AA meetings may seem a waste of time to most junkies, but let me tell you something.....there is no greater feeling than sitting in a room filled with junkies just like yourself. People who have the same messed up feelings and physical pain as you do, all admitting that they are not in control of their lives. And for the first time you might finally admit to yourself that you are a drug addict.... that very moment is the start of your new life....that is, IF you choose life. I am not going to preach the 12 steps here because I never believed in them on a spiritual or personal level. It is a great concept, but I have my own personal 12 steps as I think everyone should. I am not knocking the 12 step program. If it works for some, than more power to them.

Thinking back, (and that is very hard for me to do, my hard drug usage has led to memory loss) I wish I had all that money I blew on drugs over the years. I could have a huge jacuzzi tub and some killer stock! Maybe in something as pathetic as Starbucks. A junkie stock broker. Oh yes.......they exist.

Ok, back to reality. Did I mention that addicts have the most interesting fantasies? It always consists of a lot of money, and a lot of drugs. But you already knew that...didn't you?

Here we go......

**Detox 101....the Junkies Survival List**

Prior to detox, set a day you are going to start. Before that day arrives, be sure you have the following items. If you are unable to get the Rx's, I have added replacements in a natural form.

1. Advil/Motrin/Generic Ibuprofin - be sure it's the big bottle, you will need it. Immodium AD....believe me, you WILL need this! For those of you who cannot take Motrin/Ibuprofin, Tylenol Quick Release caps work fine.

2. Heating pad/Electric blanket. - These are good for the chills, and also to wrap around your legs when they start to jump, and are in pain. The heating pad is great for trouble areas on the back, shoulders, etc.

3. Bath tub/Jacuzzi/Hot tub. If no bath, a shower works too.

4. Natural juices. Fruits and vegetables high in anti-oxidants are good to juice. Blueberries are an excellent source. (Look up fruits high in anti-oxiodants and drug detox fruit cleansing on the internet) If you do not have a juicing machine, then Knudsens or Odwalla is a good maker of juices. For Odwalla, the following are your best bets due to the nutrients and vitamins in the drinks: Blueberry B Monster, Super Protein, Berries Go Mega, and Odwalla Superfood (Superfood tastes like grass but it is the best booster I have ever had) are all good choices.

5. Water. LOTS of water. Flushing the system is a must during the detox process. Not Kool-Aid, iced tea, Coca Cola, NO CAFFEINE, organic yuppie way too expensive fu fu drinks.......just water.

6. Rx - If possible the following drugs will help immensely:

Xanax/Aprazolam - this will help with the mental and psychological pain you will be in. It will also mellow you out when you are craving (enter drug of choice) badly. It helps with irritability and depression as well.

Ambien/Valium/Halcion/Lunesta, etc - this will help you sleep. If it's one thing addicts all have a problem with during this process, it is insomnia. Sleep helps during detox in more ways than one. Not only will it cut the duration in half, (you sleep for hours, so of course it is going to shorten the detox) it also helps your brain and body recharge.

In fact, if you can take 4-5 days off from work, stay at a friends house, have someone watch the kids, whatever you need to do to be alone for those days, you can actually sleep through your detox. Of course you will wake up to eat, drink, and take more sleeping pills, but I have gone this route before and it worked. But, you have to be very. very careful about how many sleeping pills you are taking. If 1-2 pills won't do it for you, then forget about sleeping through detox. This may not be the healthy way to do it, and I ain't no doctor, but some people have debilitating withdrawal's like I did, and really don't have a choice. (ex: Heroin, Methadone, and some crack/meth junkies, and even some long time, hard core alcoholics)

CAUTION/WARNING: This is not, nor is it intended to be alternate medical advice. Be sure to speak with your Doctor or seek medical advice before taking any medications or starting a home drug detox program.

The above drugs are only to be taken during the first week of detox. For habitual long time addicts, you may require a longer dosage period. For Heroin and Methadone users 2 weeks or more. The Xanax and sleep aides can become addictive if abused. The best way to make sure you do not become addicted is to have your doctor only prescribe enough for 10 days. With no refills!! You know what they say, "if you don't got em', you can't take em'".

If you are unable to obtain a prescription for the above drugs, then the following natural supplements can be exchanged. Myself and others have taken every one of the following natural supplements. If you take them correctly, and stay hydrated, THEY WORK.

The German Commission E recommends the use of Hops herb for discomfort due to restlessness or anxiety and sleep disturbances.

***Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata)*** If you don't get any of the supplements listed so far, at least get this one...you won't be sorry. This acts like a sedative. It gives a very relaxed high and is a mild hallucinogen. It can be taken as a pill, or by tea. I recommend tea due to the human body absorbing the herb faster when in liquid form. I cannot begin to tell you how much this has helped me when I was having horrible cravings and mental anguish, including the shakes and irritability. If you can find this in liquid form, GET IT, and take it in tea, water, etc.

For anti-depressants: A very potent root, St. John's Wort's action of mood modulation takes place at the synapsomal level where it works to inhibit the reuptake of three of the four known feel-good neurotransmitters. They are serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Anyone who is on an anti-depressant (MAOI/SSRI) should understand this. Like many of the pharmaceuticals that inhibit the reuptake of only serotonin, this process, when taken in Rx form (Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, etc) can take up to 6 weeks to take effect. St. John's Wort works more gently, faster and broadly. Given that it effects three neurotransmitters is probably why it has such a low side effect profile.

For sleep: Valerian root and Melatonin. Take them together and you are in la-la land. Warning....Valerian Root stinks, but it is very effective. Don't let the smell fool you.

All of the above supplements must be taken as described on the bottles. Always try to get either liquid form, and if possible full spectrum. You can also do a search on each supplement online, or at your local library.

For those of you on any kind of thyroid medication: I have checked each supplement to make sure they will not have any adverse reactions with thyroid medication. ( I am a user of Thyroxine and have to investigate anything I take in case of a reaction.)

7. If you are unable to get the prescriptions OR the supplements, then the following over the counter aides will help A LOT.

The first thing I recommend is Pamprin in the BLUE box, NOT the pink. The pink box does not have Pamabrom in the med. Yes GUYS....Pamprin. And don't worry, it is not going to make you grow boobs or turn you into a chick. The acetaminophen/pamabrom combination is a pain reliever for pain associated with back ache, headache, and muscle ache and can be used as a mild muscle relaxant. It also has a mild diuretic which is good for detoxing. The faster it comes out, the better you will feel!

Secondly, a very good OTC drug is Alka Seltzer Plus Night Time Cold medicine "effervescent tablets" in the green box. One of the ingredients in this OTC drug other than (per pill) acetaminophen (250mg) is Dextromethorphan (10mg) It's uses in medicine range from pain relief to psychological applications. Also in the med is Doxylamine Succinate (6.25mg) which is one of the many sedating antihistamines on the market today. (you have to be 18 to buy it)

8. And lastly, be sure you are taking a regular "full spectrum" multi vitamin to replace all of the minerals you have lost during drug usage. GNC makes a nice Full Spectrum Multi for Men and Women that is easy on the stomach, and comes with or without Iron.

What does "Full Spectrum" mean? = Certain imbalances can occur when we take a few nutrients in high amounts in the gross absence of others. Meaning, you can go to your local grocery store and pick up a bottle of vitamin C, but in that vitamin c are other ingredients that may be there to keep the pills fresh, have a better taste, etc. Full Spectrum means it contains 100% of the vitamin with no extra fillers.

9. Eat something that is naturally sweet. (fruits, dark organic chocolate) Stay away from refined sugar and mixtures containing refined sugar, including sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, brown sugar, turbinado. Avoid artificial sweeteners. They can all make you even more cranky.

*************Time to detox***************

At first sign of aches and pain, take 800 to 1,000 mgs Ibuprofin, or your pain/swelling supplement. Then get in a hot bath. Drink water or natural juices, or both. Xanax/Supplements for the first 5-6 days to help with the emotional pain.(I take 4 Xanax or if I want to go natural Sam-E with Hops per 24 hours) But no more than 8-10 days, you don't want to get hooked on that demon Xanax. (Believe me, Xanax wd's SUCK) More hot baths. Lots of water to flush the system.

FOOD - Fresh veggies, greens, blueberries, protein, good stuff for your body. Suggestions for rich detox foods are: broccoli, red and green vegetables, cauliflower, beets, onions and garlic. Beans are an important detox food and a major source of protein and are a great source of fiber.

More excellent foods for your detox are kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzo and soybeans. It is very difficult to go wrong with legumes, so pad your new diet with this source.

Keep it light on the meals. Instead of snacking on chips, candy and cookies, try to snack on nuts and seeds as a healthier source. Try sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, and walnuts. The elimination of fast foods, red meats, pork, junk foods, and sugary drinks will help speed up the detox process. And last but not least, no fried food.

It can be really hard to eat good while detoxing. Sugar and fatty foods have that "feel good" taste to them, and when a junkie is cranky, they want to feel good by any means, including food. But just remember, if you eat good while detoxing, you are going to have a shorter detox time. And, you are giving your body back the nutrients it has lost due to drug use. Get a good start on rehabilitating your insides and you will not only feel good, but look good too. You can be 100% clean and still look like sh*t if you don't eat right. So just think about that......

Sleep as much as possible.

You are going to be pissed off and your body is going to feel like road kill for 5-6 days, depending on your drug usage, and how long you have been dosing. But hang on! Keep all hands and feet inside the ride. It's quite bumpy...but it will end.

Every day you will feel better.

It is very important to stimulate your senses. Read your favorite book, play your fav video game, read the posts and journals on this forum, play with your kid's, have sex with your spouse, rent some movies you have always wanted to see, go outside and work out, run, scream while your doing it. Do whatever it takes to get your mind off of the w/d's.

Stay away from stress, and most of all people, bro's, and friends who won't be supportive. Even the best buddy that likes to get drunk watching "Monday Night Football", or the girlfriend who comes over every Tuesday with a couple bottles of wine to watch "The Bad Girls Club" .....stay away from them until you are clean and can handle temptation. Lock yourself in your house and turn off your ringer on the phone if thats what it takes.

And for god sakes, change your number if your dealer has it!

Keep up the regime for as long as the wd's are unbearable. If possible, take time off work so you are able to stay in the comfort of your own home. Within 5 days you should start feeling better, depending on your previous drug usage, how long, and what type, it could take upwards to 20 days.

Baths Baths Baths! Every time you start to feel like hell, take your Ibuprofin and a Xanax, or Ibuprofen and your mood enhancing /pain supplements, and take a hot bath. If you are concerned about drying out your skin, then add some oil to your bath. I recommend Dr. Bronners Magic Hemp pure castile soaps. They have a wonderful peppermint body wash. It's not only good for the skin, keeping it hydrated, but it has a very powerful mint smell to it. Perfect for relaxing in your tub, or in the morning while in the shower to get you going.

Another excellent remedy for an aching body is Epsom Salt. Pour 1 cup of salts in your bath with some peppermint or lavender oil and soak for at least 1/2 hour. Also, add a few drops of the peppermint oil to a bowl full of hot water. Take a wash cloth and soak it in the liquid. Remove and put cloth on your face for 5 minutes and inhale. Good stuff man......good.

If you are interested in more herbal treatments for detoxing from drugs, or just cleansing for the health benefits, please feel free to message me. I am a walking weirdo junkie with mega experience in the herbal field, and I love to share the knowledge.

****For Methadone and Heroin users****

I do not recommend this for anyone wanting to detox from Methadone or Heroin. Don't try to taper the Methadone unless you are working with a Doctor to do so. If not, stay on your full dosages. You could possibly die if you try to go "cold turkey" after taking it for a long time and are on a high dosage. Unless you are a professional that understands the gradual lessening of dosages, you are only kidding yourself. You will shock out and your body is going to shut down. Go to your doc and look into Suboxone. You shouldn't have to live in hell in order to get clean. I can't begin to tell you how much Suboxone helped me when I was detoxing from Methadone.

Methadone is really no different than any other opiate drug. It's just stronger and binds faster than any other substance. If you think Methadone is any different from Heroin with wd's, well you are only trading in one crutch for another. Plus, you are going to live in your own personal hell for quite some time if you go it alone. In fact, you can hiss and b*tch at me all you want, but you are seriously retarded if you think you can do it cold turkey and all by your lonesome. "I'm gonna go CT and fu*kin kill myself! Yeeee haw!!!!" You will more than likely end up in the ER.

People who come off of such high doses without tapering either:

A. - Seizure out/Convulsions/Cardiac Arrest
B. - Break down and use again
C. - Suicide due to the mental strain
D. - Make it for some unbelievable reason, but with some physical (internal) damage.

I've been on both ends of withdrawals, heroin and methadone, every user of methadone will always tell you the same, as I do; I can kick heroin anytime, mostly needing just a friends help, but methadone.......that is something else. In 10 years of heroin addiction, I've kicked 5 times, 'cold-turkey'. Sure the wd's were horrible, but I did it. In 10 years on and off methadone I've never been able to kick it without core treatment.

The only way to do it safely, and with results, is with a ************** doctor, or rehab. The good thing about rehab, is you discover how to keep yourself from falling into that trap again, and how to resist the temptation of only taking that "one" hit. They give you tools to use in order to stay clean.

It is the same thing with Heroin. Get professional help. You cannot do it yourself unless you have Suboxone and help from a Doc. There are too many physical consequences that come with self detoxing from Heroin and Methadone. I almost always needed help detoxing from Heroin, but it was never as bad as Methadone. My main problem was the cravings. But, that is where treatment helps in more ways than one.

Heroin is not cool, it is not a good excuse for a "pain killer", it is not a "social drug", it is not a fun drug.

When I met Heroin, I fell in love at first syringe. And this is the same with many Methadone addicts. I could operate like a normal person without having to use a pipe, or take a pill. I detached from all human love. Only pretending to be the perfect Mommy for my kid's sake, the perfect boss at work. I gave Heroin some of the best years of my life.

But, one day Heroin failed me and didn't love me back. To make a long fuked up story short: I overdosed on over 2 cc's of China White. (better known in the medical community as α-methylfentanyl). Waking up in the hospital in extreme pain, every part of my body was screaming, and remembering everything from the night before....the amber liquid going into my vein, feeling as if my heart exploded...... scared the living sh*t out of me. I knew then that I needed help to push the monster away. And Suboxone along with heavy treatment, helped me see the drug for what it really was: A pleasurable KILLER.

So if I can do this....if I can detox from almost every street drug known in the USA (and China : ).....you can too. Detox is nothing but a blink in a humans lifetime. Like the small town you passed by but didn't see because you lit your cigarette.

With that said, I wish every junkie/addict...whatever you like to call yourself... luck with detox, and luck with life. I hope every single one of you who reads this comes out on the other side shining. Remember, life is beautiful. And we only get one chance at it. Love yourself and those around you.

Redemption is all about helping yourself and others. With your experiences, maybe you can help out a fellow junkie who is crying out for help. The only people who really understand us are fellow drug users...once a junkie always a junkie...you many not be using, but you will always be in the club.

"Welcome to the Junkies Club, wanna cigg?".

How wonderful does it feel to help a fellow user? It's like bringing a scarred, broken life into this world, but with hope and a new beginning. Not to mention the big karma points. :D

Tomorrow is my first day!! I am going to put your steps to use... It all sounds like it would help. This isnt my first time going through this unfortunatly. I will be detoxing from pain killers again!! Hopefully I will not do this again to myself. Thanks for the info.

Thank God I'm strapped in right now here man. I think God put you here to test my faith, Dude. You believe that?

"Uh huh."

Does that trouble anyone here? The idea that God.. might be...fukin' with our heads? I have trouble sleeping with that knowledge. Some prankster God running around: "Mu ha haaaaaaaa. We will see who believes in me now, ha ha!!!.”

Hi Im only a girlfriend of my adicted boyfriend we started detox today and i dont know how to help him, im a drug virgin living with a drug/pill addict. He's sleeping now but when he wakes up i'll be in darkness how to help him again. That's why I'm asking u what to do. He's been on vicodin and oxicontin 4 some time(months) before that he was addicted to oxicotin so badly that he was sniffing them, he got out of it but now he is taking again not as much as in the past but enough to be addicted again. I know he is in pain, his body aches and he is in his own world, im sitting next to him on the bed looking at him asleep and wanting to cry coz i don't know how to help him, please tell me what to do i read junkie's post but i don't know if it applies to pills addicts.

It absolutely applies to pill addicts. When I wrote that, I was high on Vicodin. Then when I got sober, I was able to tweek it and add some sober stuff to it. The best thing for you to do is either get him into treatment, or make him go cold turkey and follow the steps outlined in Junkies Survival Guide.

He may only be taking small amounts now, but it will lead to full blown usage like before.

Sit down with your boyfriend, and tell him how you are feeling about the situation. Always being supportive, try to get him to realize that he is not himself when on these drugs, and a pain management doctor is what he needs. You can be in pain and not addicted. There are many ways to cope with physical pain other than drug usage.

It is good you are reaching out for help now rather than later. Get his a$$ in to see a doctor now, and don't let him lie about his drug usage, it will only impede him getting any kind of help.

Thanks Junkie he's just woke up and he feels like ****, im going to the store to get something to eat, he asked me to get him some aleve is it ok? I have no idea if he can take any medication, i would rather he didn't take anything and i k now he should see a doctor but i know he went there before and it didnt help he says that he just don't want to take any pills on detox coz he tried methadone and after that he felt worse, he also got into rehab in past but all psychiatrists drove him crazy. He is that kind of person that wants to fight by himself like, it says that he tried everything in the past and now he acts like only laying in bed will cure him. And tomorrow night he has to work i have no idea how he will do it.

Advil, Aleve, they all work just fine. But he won't be able to detox alone. You need to either use the detox program above, or get him some help. If he comes home high tonight, you will know what to do. : )

Yeah i wish he could go to the doctor or use detox program but he went through that in the past and then he did it again alone without anybody's help, he was in worse state but he made it that's why he believes he will be able to do that again. We've been staying home since saturday and he hasn't taken anything since then, Tomorrow evening he's going to work and i hope he'll be able to without any medication, he says he will but we will see how he feels tomorrow, thank u for your advice it helps a lot when u know that there is somebody more knowledgeble then me and doesn't hesitate to help:)

Anytime. I know all to well the pull of drugs. It is a VERY TOUGH MONSTER to conquer. But if you think he can do this alone, then I wish you both all the luck. But, if does detox, he still needs a few NA meetings. They are nothing like TV makes them out to be. You know, a bunch of homeless looking people, all with ciggarette buns on their fingers and drinking up all of the free cheap a$$ coffee at the meetimgs.

There are actually regular people there....like you and me. And a real good eye opener is talking to the hard core habitual drug users who have lost everything to the drugs.

I would urge him to go, and you go with him for support. At least jsut a few meetins.

Thanks for the great post..Fortunaely for me i have only messed with vics and xanax ..but if I don't 'stop now I know I have the option to get to all the other stuff.....your honesty is an eye opener...

I am a pill junkie, oxy, roxys, and I thought I would take methadone to get off them and taper done my dose and get clean with out my family knowing what I have done. It didn't work I started wd's from methadone and it was bad so i went back to the roxys and take pills, i tried the methadone one more time still couldnt do it. I finally broke down and told my husband. I have appoinment tomorrow at 1:30 with a detox dr. I hope he gives me Suboxone. But I will be honest I am scared s*** less.

Thanks Junkie for even showing up here u dont have to do it but u still do it. He is sleeping now I cooked today. Heh I do it very rarely but i knew he need healthy food, he ate, drunk glass of wine and fell asleep, I'm sipping the wine and relaxing u don't know how good it is to see him sleeping he is so calm and relaxed, though he told me that his sleep is not that relieving, like in a fever with bad dreams. But how are u? U post comments for us, people in trouble but how do u feel with everything around u and your life?

Hey Ksondra, everything is good with me. I am slowly tapering off the Vic/s, Xanax and other pills. It's not easy but I am in that tapering process so I am not going to withdraw too bad. My old H dealer came buy today and I told him I was going clean. He is an old family friend so he was very supportive. I also told him that him coming over was not conducive to my drug problem.....maybe after a year or so we can chill. But for now, I am only around clean, positive people. Like you! : )

The best thing for detoxing is sleep. It's good that your guy can get some Zzzz's. Most addicts can't get a wink at all when drying up. That is the #1 chief complaint I hear from detoxers.

Be sure to get him in some type of NA group after all is said and done. Even just a few meetings may wake him up to the fact that pills are just the beginning.

I remember going to my first NA meeting. This was when I was banging up 6 times per day. (Heroin & Coke) I was also doing a lot of meth when it wasn't a very widely used drug, ludes were heaven to me, and I was drinking like a fish. Whatever I could get my hands on, I did. Except crack. Read my profile and you will know why. lol!

Sleeping pills were my forte, in fact, they still are.

I scared a lot of people in that meeting. My story and just the way I looked was shocking. Some people were there for pills, other for booze. But the real hard cord junkies really stood out. And I remember telling everyone I started my long journey through hell with only a hand full of Oxy's. That is where it all began. That and my addictive personality did me in. But, those chumps at the meeting, those 9-5 junior junkies, who were taking a few pills here and a few drinks there, needed a fuking dose of reality..... to see what they could have turned into. And that was ME.

SO, try as damned hard as you can to get him to go to at least one meeting. Maybe hearing some of the fuked up stories will scare him into reality. I know my story has scared many, because it goes much much further than just drugs. But it was drugs that started it all.

Anyways, keep me updated and let me know if you need any info on something to calm him down should he freak the hell out.

I have to get my life back I have lost control of everything. I want this real bad. If they give be sub I am going to take it. I don't know how anyone goes through the WD's. The longest I went through it was four days. I had to get a pill. That or die. I really tried to do this on my own. I just really hope this DR helps.

I know all about losing control. I almost lost my home due to H. But I had a child to look after and that woke me up. But, I do regret some of the things I lost on my junkie journey.

Sub is at much better drug to detox on. I was able to function, work, no pains, no aches. And I was able to sleep!!! ore better was the fact that I didn't have to take it long. Once you have all of the other junk out of your system, you don't really need it anymore.

Suboxone works by binding to the mu-receptors in the brain...the same receptors opiods bind to. This causes the brain to see Buprenorphine as it would opiates. This nervous system process immediately halts the symptoms of withdrawal mere seconds after administration. You can see why recovering opiate-addicted patients have turned to Sub-X over Methadone.

It doesn't have an intense high, but it does have a ‘ceiling effect’, so that you can only experience a mild high from it, no matter how much you take. And you usually have to go the doc's for a few days in order to get your dosage right. But once you do, you get an Rx and you don't have to worry about daily visits like Meth.....or the nasty side effects and addiction.

But one thing........Suboxone is usually prescribed in outpatient settings, but for both versions, the timing of when you take the pill is important.

If you take it when you are just starting to enter withdrawals, it will block those symptoms.

BUT, if you take it when you are already high, it can send you into withdrawals. And I mean REALLY BAD withdrawals. When I took it, I was on my first day of w/d's, 8 hours into it. I had no drugs in my system for 14 hours. And it was perfect timing.

I am in trouble. I have been addicted to Vicodin for 10+ years. I am worried about what it is doing to by body. I only take 4-6 a day but everyday for the last 10+ years. It's not alot but I usually take them at the same time in the evening. I start to feel the withdrawls everyday in the evening and then take 4-6 again. Can I continue like this the rest of my life or is it going to do damage to my body? What can I do?

Junkie, your comments have given me greater insight into my brother's Oxy etc. use. He has been through a lot. Most recently neck surgery. I hasten to add that he has been on Oxy and other drugs for MANY YEARS. His family knows that he needs help. The key I think is having him admit that he needs help. Any suggestions other than the excellent ones provided so far?

Mayleepl,
Of course you cannot continue to do this to your body. Eventually it will catch up with you. I have been taking 25-30 plus opiates for years now. And if it's one thing I have learned, is that it really slows you down. From your thinkig, to your metabolism. Have you gotten colds a lot lately? Usually, long time users will get colds often because they are depleting their immune system of certain vital minerls. Not to mention the liver damage it does due to the acetaminophen.

There are also cases of blood disorders, bladder problems, amd spasm of the ureter.

But I have always been afraid mostly of the acetaminophen and my liver, and the increased chance for liver failure. I recently switched ti Vicoprofin....which obviously has Ibuprofin instead of acetaminophen. But that's not any better really.

So you take about 12 pills in a 24 hour period for the past 10 years. The only thing you can do is taper off slowly. Are you taking these meds for pain or for the high? If it's for pain, there are many, many alternative methods that do work for certain ailments. But if you are taking it for the high, you have to be ready to quit.

And even though to some people, including yourself as you said, 12 pills are not that much.....well over 10 years they are. I am surprised you don't take more since you have been on them for so long.

So the question you have to ask yourself, Mayleepl, is are you ready to quit? If you want to quit due to the health risks, you are really not getting to the root of the problem as to why you starting taking them, and have continued for so long.

Thanks for your comments and support. I know I have to quit. I started vicodin for pain but now it is for the high and addiction. I don't know if I can handle the withdrawl. Maybe switching to Vicoprofin would be better, I didn't know that was available. I don't drink, I don't do any other drugs, so I don't consider myself a hard core druggie. I work a full time job and have three almost grown children. My huband and kids have no idea that I take these pills. I do have to say it is my escape at the end of the day.

Thanks for your comments and support. I know I have to quit. I started vicodin for pain but now it is for the high and addiction. I don't know if I can handle the withdrawl. Maybe switching to Vicoprofin would be better, I didn't know that was available. I don't drink, I don't do any other drugs, so I don't consider myself a hard core druggie. I work a full time job and have three almost grown children. My huband and kids have no idea that I take these pills. I do have to say it is my escape at the end of the day.

Sorry to hear about your bro. Sounds like he started taking pain killers due to injuries? Or was he using before?

The best thing you can do as his brother is reach out to him and try to get him into a detox program with therapy. It's kind of hard trying to get a junkie to stop, and even harder when they don't want to quit. The whole "Intervention"thing may be what he needs. Have you spoke with him about his drug use before?

If you and the family are worried about him, then talk to him and make him see how much he is hurting himself, and others. Go to the Intervention line and tell them your story via online website. They will listen to everything you have to say, and if it is a life threatening case, they will get the ball rolling right away.

Go to this website to send your info to the producer.

http://www.aetv.com/intervention/participate/index.jsp

I would never usually promote anything that has to do with TV, but a very close friend of mine in SoCal went through the Intervention show, and is now in therapy. I can't say anything else because it is viewing next month.

But if that is not an option, get a hold of a treatment center in your area and let them know what is going on with your bro. They can either help you with an Intervention, or give you tips on how to get him in there.

But just remember, the only way he can get clean is if he wants too. It's sad to sit idly by and watch a loved one kill themselves with drugs. But maybe he will listen if your whole family gets together and talks to him.

I have used this treatment twice. Once for heroin, and for Methadone. I had no cravings, and no pain. It is covered under most insurance companies,and they also have a plan for people who cannot afford the medication.

I just want to say, that you my friend, have just scored a star on your crown when you get to heaven! I can't even begin to imagine how many poeple you have just helped. You shot straight. That is what a junkie needs. Don't sugar-coat a thing. Tell them/us what we do to our bodies when we do these things. These things that give us a false sense of self-worth. It isn't self-worth, it is a buzz and it IS fake! I thought, it makes me able to do the things that I need to get done easier and I am a better person because I am happy and nice. That is the f*cking drug telling you that. Took a long time to see and recognize, this is me. I think you have made a lot of us take a long hard look at ourselves and the look was BAD!!!!

My situation is a bit different, although, much the same way, I am still a junkie! I would like your advice on it. I have a legit pain problem. I had back surgery in August and am in pain management. He started me on 6 10/325 Hydros a day. I went back in a month and told him to reduce. We went to five. The next month, I asked for another reduce, we went to four. That is where I am at, 4 10's a day. Well, you know as well as I, I don't take them like that. I will have them taken in a week at the most. That is 120 a week! Then, I run out and WD until time again. Now, by the time I go back to get another script, I am over the WD and notice that the pain I had that warranted the med, isn't nearly as bad as I thought it was. Now, there are days that I need something for my back. I am allergic to NSAIDs and I can't take Ultram. So, that leaves Tylenol. Well, not unless I take a handful, nothing. So, I think I need something for like PRN, but I don't have the ability to have them in my possession without taken them. I bought a pill box. I can only fit 4 in there. That is my dosage for the day. Do you think I can control my usage now, with the pill box?

Thanks Angel75. I just want people to see what drugs really are, from a junkies perspective....not what they see on the television. ( I call televisions Electric Fireplaces, because all you do is zone out in front of them and let all of the ******** sink in....and to think people still believe everything they see on TV...like fukin' zombies )

I wrote this piece because I think a lot of addicts go through un-necessary pain when detoxing. Most Doctors won't tell you jack about withdrawals, or prescribe anything for you. And most of those mother fukers KNOW there are drugs out there that will help the process. They just want nothing to do with it since they were the pricks prescribing you the junk to begin with.

If I can help just one person go through detox with only mild pain or detox symptoms, then I will have done my part.

We are humans too.

Addicts are the by-product of what the pharmaceutical companies made them to be. And those companies are banking on more and more addicts to be whelped in order to keep their wallets warm.

hey "junkie",GREETINGS first off ,thank the lord you got clean. i also wanted to commend you on u'r "personally articulate' way of sharing u'r life's experience(s). i am as one girlfriend put it am a "pleasure hog" and i just replied to her not a p-hog but more a "PAIN avoidance person" beleive me, as you, & many others i have been beaten,twisted,broken etc. by this thing called life and i've looked for ways to kill the pain & if possible ADD to whatever pleasure i can find along the way. anyway,i guess i'm a little bit both.i was reading at the last part of u'r post and it hit a nerve. so i think i can ask you this and u'll be forthcoming. i posted a little of my thing in the forum. basically i have been trying to kick opiates for months,i ran out of my supply from my dr because of a missed pee test. anyway, just taking 10-20 mg of methadone for no more than 1 & a half months that wouldn't put me in the "don't kick it alone situation" ,right or is it more serious.the way i took it from what you wrote you were talking higher doses for longer times,correct?i am unfamilier with m/done.you could look back at my 2 posts,all within the last month.take care!! & keep writing u'r a "natural"

Ive been taking prescription pain pills for just over 9months not to long but long enough to be addicted!, It started w/ vicodin, then I discovered Percocet, at first I was taking it because of severe tooth problems I was having(Ya sounds lame...lol) I had that all taken care of after a month or so of being on the drugs and didnt take any the day after the pain from the extractions went away...AND WOW...it was the worst Id ever felt I couldnt figure out what was wrong I mean Id taken Vicodin in the past just for a buzz but I wasnt aware of the addiction, WD's etc. I was just a ******* kid, So i went to the hospital several times over the next couple days, they didnt find anything wrong the first time they gave me a script of Motrin 800...Nothing...next day, again X-Rays, Ct-Scans, Nothing wrong but Im still in pain so they give me a script of Vicodin and as soon as that pill hit my stomach I felt 100%...So I came home got on the internet and found out exactly what was wrong w/ me...ADDICTION

I couldnt stop taking them though, working 2 jobs, Buying a Home, Supporting my wife(Who is now also addicted), Car payments, Etc, Etc...So my wife and I, We hospital shopped, Doctor shopped, got other people to Hospital shop for us, whatever it took

After a while we were buying them off the street(which is Fukin' expensive)Vicodin, Percocet whatever to get high and keep the WD's away...usually we take 4-8 percs a day, a piece(Dont take Vics anymore I scared the hell outta myself w/ the APAP overdose warning)...So anyway about a month ago we couldnt find any percs and I know a guy who sells Oxycontin...got a 40mg off of him broke it in half and we were good for like 10hrs...so I got another and another now were taking anywhere from 80mg-120mg a day a piece(which is REALLY Fukin' expensive,,,lol)

I just wanted to share this to let everyone know that these drugs doctors prescribe are ****** up(Idf you didnt already know)

I'm 22 years old and had a lot going for me...Now im losing my house, Lost my car, Ive got 2 bank/credit cards completely beyond maxed out, My wife didn't go back to school this semester...My life is a wreck!

Thank you for witing this guide its really going to help in the weeks to follow...Now I have a question

We have tried a few times over these past 9months to kick this habit but to no avail...Could this be because we are doing it together?...just enabling one another?...like if I say "I want some pills", then she begins to dwell on it untill she says "lets get some"...Of course I already knew that would be her answer, that why I said it...Would it be better if we were apart?

We want off these truly...your article and everyones responses are really going to help Im looking into Suboxone first thing in the morning...Thanx again

Suboxone would be my advice. Mainly because you and your wife are addicts. It is really hard to detox when you have a partner who is hooked as well. I am helping out a couple right now who have the same story.

It is way tooo easy to say "Let's just get one, just one more time", and your spouse, who is fiending is of course going to say yes. So you basically enable each other. When you enable someone it means that, you're allowing them to break "rules" that you said you were going to abide by too. This is what keeps people sick, and continuing to not care about their addictions.

If you are truly going it alone, (just you and your wife) then I would advise that either you both go to a treatment facility. But if that is not an option, then you need to get sober one a time. That way, one of you is there to take care of the one detoxing. Then vice versa.

The first thing you must do, is gather up the strength you have, and gain some knowledge and education about the substance abuse field, and what is out there to help you both, like Suboxone. Then, you will bring everything you know and have learned to the table, and be ready and willing to make that detox/sober commitment.

And whatever you do, DO NOT try Methadone. That sh*t is addictive and harder than anything to stop.

Well, I relapsed yesterday I had to because going to work w/ no drugs EFFING sucked, I was gonna quit, I was snapping at everybody ready to rip heads off. I looked into the Suboxone there are only 10 doctors in my area that are able to prescribe it and none of them are taking new patients. So Ive gotta go at this alone...

I get paid in 2 days and Im gonna be ready I took 2 weeks off work starting thursday, Im gonna go and buy some of the things you have posted in your guide, My wife is going to her parents so we are not enabling one another. Its gonna be hard but its gotta happen

So thank you again, and if you have any other advice you may think helpful please send it my way

Thats great that you are going to give it a go! Is your wife going to when she returns? It would be good that way you can help her through the hard times.

Don't get me wrong here, detoxing is no walk in the park.

Remember, It is but 5 days of hell compared to a life time of sobriety.

You can do this!

Are you going to taper or just do the Xanax or natural way that is described in the guide? Have you been able to get any kind of anxiety or sleeping scripts?

You and your wife are making a great choice.

And don't beat yourself up about relapsing. It happens to a lot of us. Happens to me all the time.

But, just never stop trying to quit. Never give in. I totally understand about the snapping and mental craziness. You feel like you are coming out of your skin, and for the first time in your life you are contemplating some serious Texas Chainsaw Massacre crazy s h i t ! You have no idea how many times I wanted to spray down bullets at my local Wal-Mart. : ) We have all been there. You are not alone.

Don't be afraid to make a few posts on the main board while you are going through detox. There are people on days 1 to 100 on detox, and know EXACTLY what is going on inside of you.

Okay,
I suffer from Migraines since I was 6. About the age of 22 I found pain pills and how they helped. It took about 5 years or more to figure out what pain med I could tolerate.... most gave me a worse headache and made me throw-up!
I never took anything until I was in the middle of the migraine....Well about 10 years ago I found out that one 5mg percocet and maxalt were my wonder drug, most of the time I took Phenegran as well....
I did fine with using only when needed....would get about 20 every 4 months or so...
Well about 2 years ago, I had alot of dental work and alot of stress ...alot of stress...and went into a deep depression...migraines increased!!
I started relieving my pain with the percocet....I have taken at least one pill a day and around 4 on a bad day ever since......
I finally decided enough is enough! So almost 12 days ago I took my last perc.... I tapered down instead of cold turkey!
I have IBS with constipation for many years! Have stomache meds for it!
So what I am asking...why am I still having flu like symptoms (nauseau, diarhrea, stomache hurting) after 12 days?
I used 1 maybe 2 xanax a day and 1 ambien a night to get me through and alot of phenegran...( I never see anything on these boards about Phenegran...should I not be using it? I dont know how I would make it without it)
I am afraid something else is wrong with me as I read everything is around 3 to 4 days and maybe bit longer....
When should I start to worry if these symptoms do not subside?
I so appreciate this Forum and your advice on everything!! You have no idea how it has helped me understand and how to get through all this!!
I look forward to hearing your answers to my questions!

Hey, I don't know anything about the Phenegran, but someone on the board might.

I just got out of 7 days of detox and I still have stomach issues. As far as the 1 -3 days of withdrawals, it could last up to 20 days depending on usage and dosage. I feel like going postal right now and will for a long time before I feel any better. I have gone as long as 1 month with "minor" wd's. But you should be feeling better soon.

Have you asked your doc about taking the Phenegran with the other stuff? Could be that is the answer. Pepto Bismol and Promethazine really helps with stomach problems while detoxing. I take Metoclopramide right now for those issues.

Thanks for the imput Junkie!
I am feeling better....but wont say at the top of my game!! I thought I would never make it!!
I hope to never be here again!!
Today is the next day of the rest of my life!!
I hope you feel better soon and wish you luck with never being this sick again!!
I am very thankful for your information! I seriously had noone to turn too and your honesty as well as the other people on here was a Godsent! Though I know this is not a proud subject....you should be commended for your help!
I will be eternally grateful!
THANK YOU!!
Promethazine is generic phenegran. Just an FYI for ya!

This is brilliant stuff. I had a diazepam addiction. And this was a maximum 5mg per week.. not day.. per week. So you would think.. aww, that's nothing. I have to tell you, it was definitely something. The psycho drama that comes with the benzo-withdrawal territory is extremely intense. Everything from fear of dying to the highest anxiety you never want to encounter awaits. I wish like hell I'd had Junkie's planned and methodical escape from the tyranny of drug addiction. It would have helped greatly. Somehow, I made it through it, but it was damned tough going. I think the only thing I would add to that remarkable approach is: you must constantly remind yourself as the demons arise during detox, that it is just the drug (or lack of) talking. You have to know that deep inside, because it is easy to get carried away with miserable thinking. IT'S JUST THE DRUG TALKING! Good luck to anyone who is about to embark on a sojourn back to normalcy.

My fiance is addicted to oxicontin. I seen the signs and didnt understand what I was looking at. My things started to disappear, I knew he was lieing about alot of things, and he was getting strange phone calls. He lost his job that paid $26 an hour that he held for 12 years... etc... His family and I have been falling apart trying to help him. He has finally admitted to the addiction but he doesnt sleep at night anymore. He sweats profusely. Hes always tired (exhausted), hes depressed, hes moody, and he always looks sick. He has no coloration to his face anymore. He has started going to a counselor and they put him on some medication for his withdrawl but he doesnt look good at all and its been 5 weeks. I think hes still lieing and possibly still doing drugs. Can someone help me? This is a man that used to love his work and his family. We met 2 years ago and he treats my children like his own. He proposed to me last year right about the time he started showing signs of sickness. I said No. I was scared - I knew something was wrong. He has such a loving - giving soul. Im scared for him. My kids are so confused - they dont know why hes acting like this. Their scared. We all are. I have gave as much as I think I can give. My job is to protect my children. He isnt violent - hes just changing and I dont know how to help him.
Any information would be appreciated. Hes a good man. Hes just lost.

Hi,
I been on Oxycontin for about 10 years now. It was increased from 10 mg to 20mg and now 40mg twice a day. I was prescribe this medication by a pain specialist. I've had 2 failed back surgeries,I have fibromyalgia, migraines, Irregular heartbeat and asthma. I'm very uncomfortable with the fact knowing that my body is now addicted to this and I'm worried what this is doing to my body. Because of the lawsuit with Perdue Pharm, the maker of the generic medicine, as of March 28, 2008 will no longer make it. I cannot afford the regular Oxycontin at $350.00 for a 30 day supply ( With my drug plan, I got the generic free ). I hate the day that I started this medication. I would like to get off it,but at 52 and with my health problems, I'm afraid of what withdrawal will do to me. If I'm just a little late takiing it, I start to go through withdrawals. I start to feel weak, really tired, I'll start fling my arms and legs and just can't be still. When you hurt already, this is even more unbearable. I'm afraid I'll have a heart attack. As the old saying goes "I'm so tired that I feel like I need a cat to breathe for me". I go back to my Doctor Wednesday. Any suggestions for me

I feel like I'm putting myself out there, naked, after having went for a swim in a cold lake by being here, but here it goes:

I'm a 30-something guy, self-employed electrician, inventor and body-builder, life has given me EVERYTHING I've ever asked for in the past, and I'm addicted to perks, oxys and these red, 200mg morphine-cocet tabs. (oh, but at least I don't drink alcohol anymore..)

This is day 3, and all I've had to subdue this PHENOMENAL pain is a couple of perks, begged from a friend of mine (who I've had to explain my addiction to, with tail between my legs,) and it has done LITTLE for me.

Ask anybody who knows me - I'm a success story. I always have $$ in my pocket, I'm great looking, I have girls in every corner -- and this amazing thing where, if I ask the 'universe' for something, I get it. Only, also have this monkey on my back - opiates. I've eaten and snorted THOUSANDS of $$ worth over the past 5 years and now: I WANT OUT.

I am giving kudos to 'Junkie' for her writing -- I feel as if it were designed with me in mind. I've saved it to my desktop to read again tomorrow. And the next day. And however many days it takes, until the PAIN in my body goes away. It's affecting my life, my moods, my kids' moods, the ability to perform my job, and now, writing to complete strangers about a weakness that has taken me to this length to admit so...

So, the big question still remains: how long does this pain go on for? And, why the F**K are OPIATES legal, with all the known side-effects and dependencies, whereas weed is deemed verboden in the eyes of the law -- and has NO side-effects? *shakes head*

So, at 3am, I will get up after having kicked off the covers for the 8th time trying to get to sleep and re-read 'Junkie's' post once again.

I had a vicious oxycontin/methadone/dilaudid addiction about 8 years ago. It started when I got chronic migrains, and had the misfortune ( I thought I had won the lottery at the time!) of meeting a pain Dr. who was mentally ill, on probation, and a junkie herself. I'd leave her office every month with scrips for 120 80mg Oxys, 120 8mg Dilaudids (nice to shoot, as I soon discovered), 300 40mg methadone wafers, 1 20ml vial of injectable Dilaudid, and 1 20ml multidose vial of Dolophine - Methadone. I was a wreck, didn't know it - I thought life was great. I alienated ALL of my friends, my sister ( she still won't talk to me or let me see my nephews even though I am "clean" (explanation at bottom) now, and have been for 5 years.
Good old Dr. Feelgood lost her license after 2 patients overdosed in 6 months. No warning - I had gotten all my scrips a week before, but one of my pals who was a patient called her office the day before her appointment to find .... a message saying her practice was closed permanently. Talk about Panic! I knew I had very little time to find a medical treatment center who would treat someone with such a huge addiction. Dad found one in Richmond, VA. (my Dad was the only person who refused to desert me). He not only fronted me 6 grand for it, but also came with me as my support person. I honestly can not describe the 20 days of hell I experienced. I was taking 160mg valium, phenergan, etc to ease my pain, mental and physical. As part of the treatment, I had a naltexone implant put in to prevent relapse. I felt "normal" a year and half later. Kicking Methadone is the worst - take my advice, if you are dead set on being a junkie, stick with heroin, cause you can kick it. Methadone lost me (I lost) my friends, family, job, 80 grand in wages, and I still have mental health issues because of it. Trust me, being a junkie isn't romantic - it's slow suicide.
Then I herniated 4 disks, and got a staph infection in my spine. I had to go on pain management, this time with a "real" Dr. I now have a pain pump delivering pain meds (Fentanyl) directly to my spine after I had my fusion. I have no control over the dose. I am working, healthy, and relatively happy. Even after all this time, my sister won't talk to me or let me see my nephews.
Opiates are either angels or the devil. It just depends on who takes them, and for what reason.

hello all ,
i have never saw this forum before however i am detoxing myself off of 60mg of methadone now , i have tapered my self down now for quit some time on my own. i got a weeks worth of meds and i would always sell 4 of them so i never took my full amount but once a week usually , last week i got popped for marjuana and got them took , the clinic is nearly 35miles a way and my vehicle broke down on the same day i lost my takehomes. needless to say i can not bare the agony of standing in a line like a gerble waiting for a pellat. not only that i havent ben able to pay for my bills for my methadone habit. i have ben on it now for year and 4months and havent dosed since saturday a full dose. i had 60mg stashed back and i have ben taking bout 5mg everytime i feel bad bad .who everyou are above you are a genius . take it from me your posting up there was helpfull in more ways then one . She is right if you do not know what you are doin detoxing from methdone is not for everyone and this is the second time i have done it hopefully i stay clean . thanks again fro the help

i keep seeing how hard it is to wd frome methadone. but what i realized is they are all the same , hydro, oxy, morphine, whatever i after 25 yrs of this shit have finally come to the conclusion that once you start taking a opiate or its synthetic you might as well realize you will be "on" something 4evr much like a diabetic who has to take insulin the rest of ther lives we have altered our bodies chemistry so severely that we hav e to take this stuff. especially if you have an underlying condition . this is my 4th time on the methadone and im now clean of all other drugs for the 1st time. not because of the methadone but because of the realization im an addict dont fool yourself aa and na are just the same as being adicted they take just as much of your time , if you are doing it right, can cause as much pain, and are very hard to stop its one adiction for the other . all of the stigma is still there and now even more people know it so forget about anonymity been there done that. found better conections and easier women. for me ill just take my dose and get on with life. good luck to allof you who are suffering for no reason . but remember there is help.

i am 22 y.o. and have been using meth for the past about 6 years... i have been arrested for armed trafficking, gone thru probation, and have been trying to break my addiction up to this day. I honestly could say that i have tried quitting over 1000 times. it is not at all that i dont WANT to quit, because i do! it's just that every time i reach about day 1.5-2.5, i seriously can barely get outta bed, or much less think even semi-str8. The biggest problem im having other than the withdrawls is that my parents and my b/f's mom (whom him and i both live with) are and have been under the impression that we've been clean ever since we were arrested together in 2005. with that being said, we cant just lay in bed for a week without being obvious that something is up. him and i have been together for 4 years, and both want more than anything to be happy and sober. we've talked about rehab, but in doing that, we would have to tell our parents where the hell we have dissapeared to... my parents love him as their own, and same goes for him mother and i.... so the LAST thing that either of us want to do would be hurt them again like that...then again, the longer we keep riding around with stuff in the car takes chance that we are going to end right back up in jail. basically there is no chance in hell that i would or could EVER tell my parents/rest of my family the truth bout whats really going on...not because thell be mad, but cuz theyll be dissapointed and hurt. i love my father and grandfather more than nething n the world...and i just cant do it to them..again..so if ne1 has ne kinda advice on some kinda product that detoxifies ur body of toxins, or speeds up the process so that we can finally beat the withdrawls, it would GREATLY be appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!11

How do you subdue the cravings of heroin? I am 22 was using 2 grams a day and kicked cold turkey after using for 4 years... But what keeps bringing me back to my knees is the cravings... I cant make them stop how do you deal with that??? can someone please help me... The thing that pushed me into using in the first place brings me bac(depression) any experienced advice? I don't want advice from someone that has never been there so don't waste my ******' time please so if you have been there fought and won let me know how to deal...

My daughter is 20 years old and been addicted to Vicodin for the past year. She is starting her detox tomorrow. We will be following your survival guide, is there anything we should know before we start. We will be detoxing her using the natural herbal supplements. Any advice would be greatly appreciated...

Plz do not use other controlled substances (benzodiazepines sleeping pills) other opiates to get off the vicodin she could end up transfer her addiction from one to another . It will be a rough week but she can do it .Has she been tapering or is she going to cold turkey?.

i am in hell.. i recently left ny where i was in a methadone clinic and was on a taper from 80 to 60 mg a day.. then i got really sick with hepatitis c and pancreatis where i had to come back to ohio to stay with family (in ny i was living on the streets ). alas there is no methadone clinic here and no suboxone docs and i am so sick from withdrawals that i start taking percs am on fentanyl patches (for pain) and then i quit these and now i feel like im thrown into methadone withdrawals again.. trifold.
I am sweating, sick, crying, have fevers, muscle spasms constantly.. in general i just feel like dying. the hospitals wont help and noone will prescribe me anything like xanax or any more ativan due to an addiction history, and i dont know any way to stop this.. i feel hopeless and cant leave my bed... i need opiates to function and i have no money to buy more. i dont know what to do... please help

I've been on percs vics and oxy's for about 6 years now when I took them at first I couldn't swallow I itched like I had poison ivy but they subscribed them for evrything I couldn't take them but always filled the script and everyone has a basket of some type with old prescriptions in it and there they went. Then in 2004 I broke my leg and it hurt like hell if I can't swallow I'll spit but I took them and before I was out of pain I tore my shoulder out and the scripts went on for a long time then the doc finally cut me off but by then everyone I worked with brought them to me because they didn't take them and they knew I was no junkie I was there construction forman and then I remembered the basket in the closet wow the mother load I had one hell of a supply then they ran out and I found a supplier on the street god only knows how much money I've given him I got into snorting the oxy's and could eat perc's like they were salted peanuts. Vic's take the edge off wd's but no recreational effect from them anymore. Last night I took the last of what I had and called my street guy he had to work late and we couldn't hook up don't get me wrong he makes it very easy but something hit me last night and I decided it was over. So today I have had nothing I am not doing real great but not real bad either the worst part is that it's the only thing I can think about work sucked today tomorrow ought to be worse but what ever clicked in my head I hope it doesn't stop.

Great article. I am work as an addiction counselor and although, many Detox facilities in my state do not offer so many accessories aside from the biomedical aspect, your courage and help is greatly appreciated. I hope you can continue on your personal journey of healthy living.

Very interesting and informational series of posts. I am on day seven of a withdrawal from opiate pills of several types. Bit of a garbage head, I am. I tapered down and was never taking large quantities, though taking them for about six months. I guess I would qualify my wd as mild, given that I was not shaking noticibly , not a lot of sweating and goose bumps. But much back and next pain, chills, exhaustion and inablility to sleep. It's a really awful feeling. Very hard to carry on and do things in daily life. Like many of you who shared, I did not tell my family that this is what I am going through. Which is actually a little sad. It speaks for my own feelings of guilt and shame. I'm sure those around me would be supportive and try to help me. I have that feeling that I should just take care of things on my own. Which is I think not uncommon to us addicts/alcoholics. I am so tempted by the idea of getting Ambien for sleep. But I know I'll just get hooked on the Ambien. Love those. For Me day seven has been bearable. Hot baths a good thing, with epsom salts. Sauna. if you have access. I would offer that if someone thinks in-patient treatment might be the thing that will save their life, it is worth the upset of the family, or even loss of a job. In the short term more chaos perhaps, but in the long term, if we can't get clean, we'll loose the families and jobs anyway.

Hi all - very interesting....and a bit scary! I am being forced into 'sudden death' here by my pain doc who suddenly surrendered his license. I've been under his care for about 3 years for treatment of severe injuries from a couple of MVA's where I got cooked really good as a passenger. Along with degeneraticve disc disease, etc. Like yu say - we all have our story.

I think these guys should be held responsible for tapering patients off of these drugs instead of tossing us to the wolves. I am a grandmother for god's sakes! This is embarassing as hell! I was taking #10 endocet - 7 per day plus a 75 mcg fentanyl patch every three days. How is stopping cold turkey safe for a woman 57 years old?? I feel like the 52 year old up top there worrying about a heart attack!

I do plan to call my family doctor tomorrow and ask him if he think its safe to do this - stop suddenly. This *****. There should be a law against this kind of torture. I know I am physicaslly dependent on these drugs after so long - mentally too, I'm certain. I was referred to another doc who referred me to an outpatient rehab. I damn well don't want to trade one addiction for another.

I am not judging any of you people - life is hard to take sometimes and we take our comfort where we can and we all have our vices. But how is this legal to get a bunch of people hooked on this **** and then kick them to the curb? It pisses me off!

I think any doc who prescribes these drugs should be held accountable for at least getting patients off of them - that's all. He was damn well paid for his services. Plus we all had to take drug tests to make sure were not abusing but abusing or not it's gonna be rough getting off of this amount of opiates! Any input - I copoied your steps above, Junkie. I do have a nice stash of atavan and ambien. Also soma if needed. Thanks.

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to write all this. I got off methadone 6 months ago and have been on suboxone since then. I tried a 3 day taper and felt horrible after day one trying to stop. I am trying a more gradual taper now and just got a script for prozac today. I am hoping to transition from one to the other although I do know they are used for totally different things. I have been depressed for a long time and have used drugs of all kinds to feel "normal" I quit seeing my suboxone doc because he was charging 100 bucks a month just to write script and I have enough now if I taper like I am supposed to. It is a different doc that gave me prozac and she is not very familiar with suboxone. Does anyone know of any potential dangers from the interaction of the two. Detox ***** and if people are like me, the main reason I fear getting totally off all meds. I almost never go online so its nice to see there are people who want to help with this that arent making money off it. Good looking out!

Ditchparrat here it wasn't easy but i got the job done it's been a long time since I've done anything don't pay any attention to the post that tell you after one week your out of the woods because your not it takes months of doubt and depresion but you will come out the other side eventually and it's worth it I was a long time user and if I can do it anyone can I didn't go to any meetings or admit to anyone I had a problem so I was a closet addict I got hooked on my own and got out on my own after getting out I talked to several close friends and found eight people close to me that had gone through it I'm past the drug but am still recovering financially from it I know how it feels and even though you feel like it's not possible it is please for your own sake do it I'm not religios but what prayers I have are with you who ever you are.

i am on day 1.5 of my detox, and mine is alcohol, i blacked out the other night and am trying to figure out who the hell i was with in the parking lot when my bag was stolen, i dropped to the ground and was taken somewhere by strangers who have used me and i have been with....i never realized how much my problem really was until i woke up and started to lose my mind, and have no money, no phoyo ID, and everything hurts...i am trying to detox out of a 5 day bender with no food or nutrition, i ate diet pills and drank anything someone would hand me.... i read many symptoms that i feel and im on the more serious side of detox, but have no support system, a broken car, no phone and wanted to try the self-detox, where they say to have 1 beer every hour....i cannot even stand to take a shower and im very very alone......i am extremely paranoid, panicked, and ive hit my rock botom...is anyone out there?, does anyone understand me tonight...i cannot be alone and all i have is FB online chat... i need some medical attention bc i feel like something terrible happened and im not sure why im hurting so badly ... i dont know if i should go to emergency, but i am so humiliated and sick right now....id love to talk to anyone who can help me...

Whoa. I was completely pulled in by this story--so very well thought out and written. Oh sorry, hi I'm Jenn. Day 3 of methadone withdrawal. I never read the whole story but this brought me in. Thank you kindly. I, oh so very seriously, needed to read this tonight. I really enjoyed your humor:-) For now, I must lay the **** down. Phew.

"D" Made it for some unbelievable reason... CT from over 200mg of OC's a day... Lost voice from puking for a week straight... U know the story.... I cud go on, but I won't. Now it's time for suboxone WD's... Here I go...

Actually, the term "Junkie" was coined in 1914. That was the year that the Harrison Narcotics Act went into place, making Heroin and other opiates illegal. Before this legislation, an addict or anyone could buy Heroin and other Narcotics at the local Pharmacy without any prescription. From the late 1800's to about 1908, a person could actually mail-order Heroin from the Sears catalog.
Back on point- after the Harrison Narcotics Act went into place, the price of Heroin did exactly what the price of Alcohol did during Prohibition- it skyrocketed, and the Organized Crime Syndicates prospered. This led to addicts not being to afford their normal doses with their paychecks, so they would go steal copper and other metals from JUNKYARDS, and sell the scrap metal to fund their habits.
Voila, the term "Junkie" was coined.

Hey, so I took three capsules with a little bit of meth in each throughout the day we'll km coming down pretty hard and am wondering if it will be ok if I drink some night time alka seltzer...
I usually take adderall 30 mg instant 2x a day. But I ran out... So yea will it hurt me? By THIS COME DOWN *****!

Thank you sista, sharing your experiences strength and hope. All addicts want quick relief. If anyone wants a clean life bad enough yes this **** works. It took us hell to get here it will take hell to get out. Nobody can do the work for you. We got ourselves **** up its up to ourselves to get out. I have been there for my love went through the trials and tribulations unfortunately he couldn't stick with it. One month ago today he lost his battle of junkiness! My is heavy for i had the opportunity to be with thr man outside of drugs. He made it through 6mths clean and sober. Suboxcin program. But he abused that too. He just couldn't stick with the program. Had to get it one more time. New cuts heroin killed him. He had all the resources and countless recoveries to support him. He gave up on himself. Just couldn't stand the pain anymore. Anyways natural remedies work with doctors plan. It worked for me and countless others. Over 20yrs clean and sober. Many blessings love and light.

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